1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device and, more particularly, to an imaging device for picking up a subject as a stereoscopic image and a video recording/reproducing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, a system for simultaneously picking up a common subject using two left and right video cameras and simultaneously outputting the left and right videos so as to display a stereoscopic image was proposed. However, if the two video cameras are used, the size of the device is enlarged and thus this system is not practical. In addition, a base length (baseline) between the two video cameras, that is, a distance between both eyes of a stereoscopic camera, is generally about 65 mm corresponding to a distance between both eyes of a human, regardless of a zoom ratio of a lens. In this case, in a video subjected to zooming, visual disparity is increased and the visual system is forced to process information differently from the ordinary manner, thereby causing visual fatigue. In addition, when the left and right images are repeatedly viewed without change, the images are doubly photographed to become unnatural images. If the positions of both eyes are set as L and R and points on the subject are set as A and B, a corner LAR and a corner LBR are defined as absolute disparities and (corner LAR-corner LBR) is defined as a relative disparity of the point A to the point B. Hereinafter, the relative disparity is simply called a disparity.
In order to facilitate the adjustment of a lens system for performing stereoscopic photographing, a stereoscopic imaging device for combining polarization filters for performing polarization so as to satisfy a mutually orthogonal relationship such that an optical system is made common is proposed (for example, see Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. 6-054991 (FIG. 2)).